Overhead door for filling stations and the like



OVERHEAD DOOR FOR FILLING STATIONS AND THE LIKE Q Filed Aug. 15, 1950 O. L. MEEK March 31, 1953 2 SHEETSSHEET l IN V EN TOR. Ozje L.M,ee7e

ATTORJVEYS.

0. L. MEEK March 31, 1953 I OVERHEAD DOOR FOR FILLING STATIONS AND THE LIKE I lllllwzzlll I .ill

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. Orpc'e L. M,ee]u BY ATTORNEYS.

w w w m o m 2 3 @m .R flew J mm bu, m m ||1ll|||||l|| KH H H 9mm: H+ H nuuuuu 5 T iag vl m :11 a a ma M u d m m Patented Mar. 31, 1953 OVERHEAD DOOR FOR FILLING STATIONS AND THE LIKE Orie L. Meek, Clarksburg, W. Va.

Application August 15, 1950, Serial No. 179,620

Claims. (01. 268-58) This invention relates to a door of the type which is normally closed in a vertical position and may be opened by movement into a horizontal plane. This type of door which is provided with trackways for guiding the same from the vertical to a horizontal position is more commonly known as an overhead door and is used, for example, in arages, warehouses, and various other type buildings. In particular, this invention is concerned with an arrangement operated by fluid means for opening a door of the type described.

An important object of this invention is to provide such a door which may be operated with fluid means and requires a minimum of space overhead between the horizontal trackway and the ceiling of the building for containing the operating mechanism.

Another important object of this invention is to provide the aforesaid operating means with a new and novel booster bar type mechanism which stores potential energy upon the opening of the door capable of closing the door upon the release of the fluid pressure in the fluid means.

A further additional object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective mechanically operated catch means for retaining the door in its open position and for preventing the operation of the booster bar upon release of fluid pressure if desired.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a door of the type described which may be opened by the movement of a carriage along a horizontal trackway in response to fluid driving means, the length of the movement of the carriage because of the mechanical advantage obtained by the arrangement being only one-half the distance that the door must move in order to be in a fully opened position.

Other important objects and purposes of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the door operating means;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental view of the left end portion of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of Figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1 and 2 an exterior wall Ill of a building such as a garage or the like having a doorway I 2 formed in the wall. Adjacent the opposite jambs of the door opening I 2 are substantially vertically extending guideways or tracks i l connected by means of arcuate guideway or track portions It to guideways or tracks l8 which extend inwardly in a substantially horizontal plane above the opening 12 and are supported by means fixed to the overhead. This trackway, designated as a whole as 29, in its preferred form comprises 2 two parallel channel members with the legs thereof extending inwardly from the opposite jambs of the opening 12 towards each other.

Supported by and guided in the trackway 20 by means of anti-friction rollers 22 is a door indicated as a whole at 24 which, as shown, may consist of a plurality of horizontal sections 26 hinged together. This door is of a length sulficient to close the opening [2. From the above description it is apparent that the door may be opened in the usual manner by lifting it upwardly and permitting the door to be guided into the horizontal plane defined by the trackway l8.

An additional trackw-ay 28 consisting preferably of guide members 30 in parallel relationship with one another and located in a horizontal plane above the top of the opening I2 is provided for guiding and carrying a fluid driven carriage member 32 described hereinafter. In the preferred form as shown in Figures 3 and 4, track way 28 consists of two angle members 30, one of which is fixed by means of a leg 34 to the outer side of web 36 of one of the channels I8, the other leg 38 of this memberv 30 extending outwardly thereof in the plane of the lower leg 40 of the channel member I8. The other carriage supporting and guiding angle member 30 is positioned in an identical manner by aflixing itto the other channel member I 8 of the trackway 20. As shown in the drawings, in the preferred form, trackway 28 is about one-half the length of the trackway 18 which latter track is of a length at least equal to the length of the door. Furthermore, trackway 28 is afiixed to the rearward half of trackway 18. Reasons for this positioning will become apparent from the description given hereinafter.

Fluid operated carriage 32 which is carried and guided by trackway 28 comprises in its preferred form a transversely extending body member 42, preferably of an angle iron as'shown, and supporting means 44 at each end thereof. Members 44 are each provided'with a pair of roller bearing type wheels 46 and the distance between members 44 and the parallel relationshi'pof the direction of travel of wheels 46, of each member 44 may be adjusted by means of slots 58 which are provided in each end of the body member 42 and receive members 44. This adjustable feature permits adjustment of the carriage 32 relative to the trackway 28 in order that the former may move along the track properly without any objectionable binding or wedging.

Fluid driving means, indicated as a whole at ea are provided for moving carriage 32 along the trackway 28. As shown, the fluid means 48 comprises a cylinder 50 which is fixed at one end to the wall ill at a position above the opening l2 and preferably substantially at the midpoint of the same, the longitudinal axis of cylinder 50 being in a horizontal plane. Within the cylinder 50 is a piston, not shown, operating a connecting rod assembly 52, the free end 54 of the connecting rod 52 being attached to preferably the midpoint of the member42 by means such as the flange and bolt arrangement 56 as shown. As described hereinafter, movement of the piston and connecting rod 52 to theright will .move the carriage 32 in the same direction along thetrackway 28.

For the purpose of operably connecting the carriage 32 to the door Zdinorder that it may be opened upon application of fluid pressure to the cylinder 50, a pulley 60 is provided towards each end of the body member 42 of the carriage 32. "An additional pulley .62, cpreferablyrin'the name :horizontal'mplane :as the pulley BB, .is fixed to the-frame "hat a position vertically iabove :each'of the guides or "rails of the trackway Hi. Oneach side of the trackway'20 thereisa wire cable :64 fixed atone .end atapositionzsuchtas 166' betweenthe frame 10 and the forward end of :track i28. Cable 64 is received over the pulley :Gflandits companion pulley 62,=andis then connected =a-t itsother end 68 to the base of the door 924. .The' arrangement of pulleys Hand 52 and -.the mire cables as described provides a two to one'rnechanical advantage whereby it is seen that upon operation of the fluid cylinder 56 .moving the carriage 32 to the right and away f-rom'the frame 1-0 along the trackwayld, the door :24 vis'opened. The door travels during .itsopening-twice the distance of the carriage32 .and therefore, .as previously pointed out, the length .of the track-way 28 need be only one-half of the length of the trackway [8. In the doors -f-ullyopened-pos'ition, asshown in phantom in .Figure 2,. the upper edge of'the door .is in a position adjacent the carriage 32.

.A booster bar '70 notched ateach of its ends at 12 .and .slidably received thereby by the upper channellegs l4 transversely. across track .18 provided-for engagement with the door 2 1 asit is .movedalong the trackway AU-towards its open ..position. .Ateach-end-ofthe booster bar 70 there is aspiring 16 whose other end is attached lto-aiixe'd point such .as 'IB. .Stops "l9 .are.provided as shown-for preventing the movement of the booster .bar towards the. doorway [2 beyondthat point at which thesprings 1B-are just in tension. Upon opening door 24 and contact of the upper edge thereof with boosterbar l0 andmovement of bar!!! to the. right, as shown in Figure 2, springs 1.6 are tensioned and store ':potentialenergy for returning the door to a closed-position upon release .of fluid pressure in cylinder 50. It isto be understood that-the .-bo0ster".bar although shown .in its preferred form .as being guided on .trackway rfi by. notches J2,"may zbe. supported-by-an additional .trackway or other .means inthesame planeas the horizon- :tal plane. in whichthe door-moves upon opening desired.

.Aspring operated catch-80 pivotedat a point .such: as-.-82 is-sprovided for locking the carriage -.-member-32 in the position it occupies upon the complete opening of the door24. This'catch, the end of whichcooperates with the vertical leg of the angle member 42 prevents the action of the booster bar 10 from closing the door even upon release of the fluid pressure in cylinder 58. -A- cable 84 is provided for operating the catch 88 against the spring action 86 which normally retains the catch in alocking position. This cable may lead to anydesired station for convenient operation.

For the purpose -of returni-ngthe carriage 32 .to the position zon the inner end-of track 28 '4 occupied when the door is closed,..a spring 88 is provided at each end of the body member 42 of the carriage 32, the other end being fixed to the .frame member ill in the position shown. These springs 88 .are .tensioned upon movement of the carriage 32 to the right in opening the door 24 and provide thereby the energy required to returnccarriage 32 to the inner end of track 28 .upon release of catch 80.

The control for operating the fluid cylinder .and'piston 48 may be located at any convenient position either within .or outside of the building. .As shown diagrammatically it preferably consists of .atwo-wayvalve 90, one connection .92 .of thisvalve providingthesupply .of. fluid under pressureandthe other line 92' 1eading :.to exhaust. .Thefiuidfline 94 serves for supplyingor .exhaustingfiuid toand from cylinder v5i! by way -of valve .90.

When it is desired to open the door 24.fiuid pressure is admitted through the line to the cylinder. 50 and the carriage 32 is moved to the right. By means of the .mechanical advantage gained through the ..pu'lleys. 60 and 62 and the cables 64, movement of the carriage 32 tothe right guides the door 24 from its vertical position to a horizontal position, along the trackway '20. At the end of the stroke ofthe piston 52,.the door '24 is in its fully opened position and the carriage 32 isprevented from 'returning'to its position occupied upon closing of the door even upon release of the 'fiuid pressure by means of the catch80. Further, the door'24 upon'opening has stored suiiicient potential energy in "the booster bar '58 for returning the door to its closed position upon release of the catch-80. When closing the door it is readily seen that the carriage '32 is aided in returning'to its initial'position by means of the springs'88. In addition, the 'door is prevented from'making an appreciable noise upon contact with the threshold 'since the slack occasioned in cables 64 will just permit closing'of the door upon action of the booster ban-"l8 and the springs 88.

'From the above description, it is apparent that an overhead type door has been provided which is operated with "fiuid means requiring a minimum of vertical space overhead between the horizontal trackway and the ceiling of the building for containing the operating mechanism, that an effective booster mechanism has been provided for closing the door upon release of the 'fiuid pressure and an additional safety catch, and

that further the mechanical advantage obtained by the positioning of the overhead. door tra'ckway relative to the carriage trackway permits'the V utilization of a minimum space overhead extending "rearwardly from "the frame Qf'the building action may occuron movement of the cable 64 thereover. Also for the same reason, .theends of spring 76 fixed to the booster bar 18 are spaced somewhat inwardly from the extremities of the same. In actual practicathese springs .areat the endsof boosterbar'lfl in order that they may not interrupt the movement of thedoor 24 as it progresses against the .booster bar 10.

.The ..description of the preferred form, of the invention as set forth is for the purpose of illustration and is not limiting to the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims wherein I claim:

1. A closure structure comprising a door to be raised from a vertical closed to a horizontal open position and lowered therefrom, a traclrway to guide said door, said trackway including a pair of spaced guide rails each having vertical and horizontal portions, a second traclzway mounted in substantially the same horizontal plane as the horizontal portion of said first traclrway, a carriage member movably carried by said second trackway, :[iuid operating means connected to said carriage member for moving the same along said second trackway, cable means operatively connected between said carriage member and said door for opening said door in response to the movement of said carriage member along said second trackway, resilient means connected between said carriage member and a fixed member for storing energy to return said carriage member to a position normally occupied when said door is closed, and booster means operatively associated with said door when the same is moved through the final portion of its horizontal movement for storing energy to assist in closing of said door, said booster means including a bar mounted in the horizontal path of said door transverse to and slidable along said first trackway for engagement with said door, and spring means connected between said bar and a second fixed member for returning said bar to the position normally occupied when said door is closed and for starting the movement of said door to the closed position.

2. A closure structure of the type in claim 1 wherein a locking member engages said carriage member after said carriage member has traveled the limit of its movement from its normal position to maintain the door in open position.

3. A closure structure comprising a door to be raised from a vertical closed to a horizontal open position, a trackway to guide said door, said trackway including a pair of spaced guide rails each having a vertical and a horizontal portion, means operatively associated with said door for raising the same from the vertical to the horizontal position, and booster means operatively associated with the movement of said door when the same is moved in the horizontal plane for storing energy to assist in closing of said door, said booster means including a bar mounted in the horizontal path of said door transverse to and movable along said trackway for engagement with said door, and spring means connected between said bar and a fixed member for returning said bar to the position normally occupied when said door is closed and for starting the movement of said door to the closed position.

=1. A closure structure comprising a door to be raised from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, a trackway to guide said door, said trackvvay including a pair of spaced channel members each having a vertical and horizontal portion, a second trackway mounted in substantially the same horizontal plane as the horizontal portion of said first trackway, said second trackway including angle members rigidly secured to the outer side of the webs of each of said channel members, a carriage member movably carried by said second trackway and including a transverse member to said second trackway, fluid operating means connected to said transverse member for moving the carriage member along said second trackway. cable means connected between fixed points on said channel members, said carriage member and said door, for opening said door in response to movement of said carriage member along said second trackway, at least one spring element connected between said carriage member and a fixed memher for storing energy to return said carriage member to a position normally occupied when said door is closed, a locking member engaging said carriage member in its extended position for maintaining the door in the open position, and booster means operatively associated with said door when the same is moved through the final portion of its horizontal movement for storing energy to assist in closing of the door, said boostor means including a bar having notched ends for receiving a flange of each of said channel members, said bar being mounted in the horizontal path of said door and transverse to the channel members of said first trackway, and spring means connected to said bar at each end thereof and to fixed points on said trackways for returning said bar to the position it normally occupies when said door is closed and for starting the movement of said door to the closed position.

5. A closure structure comprising a door to be raised from a vertical closed to a horizontal open position, a trackway to guide said door, said trackway including a pair of spaced guide rails each having a flange and a vertical and horizontal portion, means operatively associated with said door for raising the same from the vertical to the horizontal position, a locking member engaging said means when said door is in the open position for maintaining the door in the open position, and booster means operatively associated with the movement of said door when the same is moved in the horizontal plane for storing energy to assist in closing of said door, said booster means including a bar having notched ends for receiving the flanges of said guide rails, said bar being mounted in the horizontal path of movement of said door and transverse to the the guide rails of said trackway, a stop element mounted on each of said guide rails and engaging said bar when the same is in the position normally occupied when said door is closed, and spring means connected to said bar at each end thereof and to fixed points on said trackway for returning said bar to its normal position and starting the movement of said door to the closed position.

ORIE L. MEEK.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,455,607 Du Bois May 15, 1923 1,678,122 Martin July 24, 1928 1,817,909 Blodgett Aug. 11, 1931 1,891,051 Neese Dec. 13, 1932 1,925,315 Feery Sept. 5, 1933 1,929,273 Crago Oct. 3, 1933 1,936,269 Schafiert et a1 Nov. 21, 1933 1,954,813 Harris Apr. 17, 1934 1,981,026 Blodgett Nov. 20, 1934 2,017,012 Morgan Oct. 8, 1935 2,084,733 Kahlifi June 22, 1937 2,259,705 Ritchie Oct. 21, 1941 2,313,095 Schneider Mar. 9, 1943 2,315,571 Wilder Apr. 6, 1943 2,533,116 Jenkins Dec. 5, 1950 

